The new positioning technology is by Locata, and it uses ground-based equipment instead of satellites to send a radio signal over a certain area. This signal is reportedly a million times stronger than a GPS signal.

While GPS mainly gives outdoor locations, Locata's ground tech is tackling indoor locations such as huge shopping malls as well. Its receivers can be small enough to fit inside a cell phone, so if shoppers are lost in a large mall, they can use Locata on their smartphone to find a certain area.

When tested at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Locata worked to within 18 centimeters along any axis. GPS typically has location resolutions of a few meters. Locata's technology could bring the resolution as far down as 5 centimeters in the future, making location pinpoints even more precise.

Locata's signal is much stronger because solid objects like GPS signals don’t block it as easily. However, Locata could still use some help in urban settings with many buildings packed so closely together.

It is suggested that Locata's tech will not replace GPS, but rather, work with it to offer both satellite locations and ground-based locations for greater accuracy in different situations. For example, the Jigsaw Positioning System uses both Locata and GPS to guide the placement of drill rigs in Western Australia.